


Torn Anklets

by Kimium



Series: Crystal Scars AU [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo Fill, Brief Mention of Blood, Brief mention of throwing up, Canon Typical Violence, Fell Dragon wounds scar into gemstones, Gen, Magical Scars, Minor Angst, One Shot, dragged by the ankle, twisted ankle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-25 00:17:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16186154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimium/pseuds/Kimium
Summary: One Shot. Bad Things Happen Bingo Fill. Fill: Twisted Ankle and Dragged by the Ankle.“How bad is the damage?” Severa asked with a raspy voice.“It’s already scarred.” Brady answered. “All the way ‘round.”Of course. Severa wanted to sit up and access the damage, but she couldn’t. Instead she tried to lift her legs, to see if she could feel the weight of the crystals on her skin. She could barely lift her legs regardless. Severa scowled at her own inability."How Severa received her scars from Grima.(In which Fell Dragon wounds scar into gemstones.)





	Torn Anklets

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> This is another fill for my Bad Things Happen Bingo! If you're interested in them, you can visit their tumblr and make your own bingo! Link to their tumblr is right [here](http://www.badthingshappenbingo.tumblr.com).
> 
> I know I've said in the past I didn't think I'd write another story in the Crystal Scars AU, but when I was picking my tropes for the bingo and picked the ankle ones I was thinking of Severa and this AU. I didn't think I'd write this one so quickly, as I wanted to post an SDR2 fill first (which will come some time. Hopefully soon!) but this one flowed faster.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are very precious to me and I always appreciate them. Feel free to leave them! Also, if you want to visit my tumblr or just chat with me there, my tumblr is right [here](http://www.kimium.tumblr.com).

Dust, smoke, and ashes spilled from the trees as fire roared, burning everything in its path. The mouth of the flames licked the trees, the foliage, and devoured, consumed. Severa raced past the fire, skirting along the edges, staying away from the smoke, the toxic fumes in the air, and ducked low in a bush. The thorns caught on her shoulder, tugging at her already rugged clothes and dirty hair. Severa hissed with displeasure, wishing she could wash up. Her hair trailed behind her in uneven clumps, natural oils and debris stuck in the locks. Severa didn’t even want to run her fingers through her hair. Feeling the state of her hair left her soul aching and the desire to have a long hot bath hurt. Shifting Severa stuffed her thoughts about hygiene away and ducked her head out, scanning the area.

They hadn’t expected to be attacked, but they had reacted accordingly and that was all that counted. Severa remembered jumping up and throwing a battered shield she had picked up from some corpse only hours earlier. The metal smacked sickly into the rotting flesh of the Risen and expose squirming maggots and grey matter. Severa would have thrown up if she had a weaker stomach. Instead she had grimaced and stabbed the Risen before it could react. Her sword had sunk in and Severa had twisted expertly away from the spray of rotting blood. The small victory over not being soaked with the disease filled liquid only remained for a second later when some Plegian mages arrived. Chaos ensured and with all the lightning and fire being thrown around along with the clashing of metal, Severa had been separated from the rest of her group.

That left her where she was now, scanning the area, hoping to run into her friends before enemies. Gripping her sword, Severa kept low to the ground and moved. Grass rustled and a few leaves crunched, but Severa was relatively silent. Ducking behind more foliage or unburnt trees as she went, Severa tried to regain her bearings. With the sky polluted with smoke and the twinkling of the stars obscured, Severa couldn’t see the constellations. The area was also unfamiliar, with too many trees and not enough light for Severa to locate some landmark. Scowling, Severa decided to just keep moving. Being a sitting duck was not an option. Staying in an area with places to hide was better.

Carefully, Severa kept moving, glancing around every time she made a move. The night air was growing cooler and the silence stronger. She was away from the impact of the flames and was moving faster than the flames were growing. That or the Plegian mages had put out the fire for their own safety. Either way, Severa wasn’t near and that was what counted.

As she moved, Severa started to reach a clearing, one that looked natural rather than made. Severa pressed her back roughly against a tree and felt her legs ache with the effort of moving. Her mind screamed to rest, but she couldn’t do that. Resting would only occur when she returned to the others and they were in a secure location.

Taking a chance, Severa decided to skirt around the clearing and keep moving straight. Standing up, Severa took a few steps out when she saw some figures enter the clearing. Severa froze and locked gazes with some Plegian mages. A beat passed before Severa ran, her hair whipping around her face as she darted around the trees, trying to keep barriers between her and them. Shouts echoed behind her and soon spells were being shot. Flames grew and Severa hissed at her awful luck. She had just escaped the fire and now she was back in one. This time, though, she had pursuing enemies and was alone.

“Great, great, great.” Severa chanted to herself as she raced through the trees.

If she could only find some shelter, somewhere to hide so they would lose track of her. Severa’s mind raced as she tried her best to scan the area and react quickly. Her mind was flying without through and Severa did the first thing she could think of, darted directions that felt right.

Another blast of some sort of spell whizzed past her and Severa gasped out as it singed her shoulder. The pain flashed hotly and Severa hit a tree as she staggered through the pain. Gritting her jaw, Severa clutched her shoulder and wished she could will the pain away. Instead all she could do was run. Taking a step, Severa forced herself to keep moving at top speed. The forest was blurring and Severa wasn’t sure if it was because she was running fast, or because the pain was affecting her vision. Not that Severa would receive an answer. Running full tilt, Severa noticed a lack of spells being thrown at her and almost cheered internally at her victory when something swiped at her from the side.

Severa didn’t have time to dodge. She raised her arms to protect herself and felt the blunt force of a Risen hitting her. Staggering back, Severa gasped and tried to grab her sword, but her footing was lost. Falling backwards due to gravity, Severa tumbled down a small ravine. Stones and sticks jabbed in her and Severa cried out as she rolled painfully to a stop. Everything hurt. Severa groaned and wished she could move, access the damage properly, but she had to keep moving.

So, she painfully pried herself from the ground, wincing as her ankle protested hotly. Tears gathered at the corner of Severa’s eyes but she held them back. Turning around, Severa noticed that the ravine was too steep and the Risen weren’t following her as well as the mages. That was the only glimmer of hope. Severa brushed off the dirt from her body and hobbled, her ankle protesting with every step. Groaning, Severa tried to think of pleasant things, like new clothes, a bath, proper meals, and sleep. The images didn’t help mitigate the pain, but it distracted her from the current situation she was in for all of thirty seconds.

Then, something grabbed her ankle, the twisted one, and tugged. Severa gasped out with a scream and fell to the ground with a harsh hit of gravity. Without anything to grip or hold onto, Severa was painfully dragged back. Sharp claws dug through her boots and into her skin. Severa felt tears fall down her face as she was suddenly pulled into the air, dangled in the air like a fish plucked from the river.

Even upside down, Severa could recognise Grima. He was sitting calmly on a rock, half of a dragon’s form manifested. The shadows obscured most of the view, but Severa saw glowing red eyes and the gleam of horns. The claw holding her upside down was definitely a dragon’s claws. The grip tightened and Severa squeezed her eyes shut.

“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” Grima’s voice was light, amused. “You look so beat up, Severa.”

“Shut up…” Severa panted out.

The claws dug into her ankle and moved slowly, like carving into a ham. Severa screamed and smelt blood, thick and metallic drip down her boot, soaking into the leather and into her clothes. Some of the blood split on the ground and Severa couldn’t think through the pain and the smell. Grima dangled her a little, swaying her side to side. Claws dug further into her skin and Severa knew there would be a scar all around her ankle if this kept up.

“That’s no way to talk to someone.” Grima chided her like she was a child. “So rude. I’m very sure Cordelia raised you better.”

At the mention of her mother, Severa glared, mustering up her strength. “Don’t you dare talk about my mother.”

Grima swayed her more, like a child swinging rope, and Severa’s words died on her lips. He scoffed and soon Severa was lowered and brought closer. Up close she could see the white of Grima’s hair and the dark purple malice swirling behind the bright red of his eyes.

“I’ll talk about her if I want.” Grima told her before another claw dug into Severa’s other ankle. “You need to be taught a lesson. Manners.”

Severa weakly tried to lift her arms, to grab her sword or do something, but all she could feel was pain, pain layered upon pain. It was all she could feel, all she could think about. Grima’s laughter filled the area and Severa smelt more blood. Her mind was fading and Severa hated how powerless she was, how weak. Her mother was never this weak. Severa was just a pale imitation of her mother…

With a burst of energy, Severa managed to swing her sword, which had been dangling loosely in her hands and attempted to stab Grima. He easily deflected it, breaking the blade, but the motion caused him to drop her. Severa felt herself hit the ground harshly. She coughed and wished she had the strength to crawl and escape Grima. She was so foolish. That would only anger him more and she was defenseless…

Something bright filled the air and suddenly Severa felt herself instinctively flatten herself into the dirt, messing up her hair and skin more. Not that she cared. The smell of dirt was welcome to the pain and laughter of Grima, even though she could smell her blood mixed in the dirt. Distantly she heard some voices speaking, but her ears refused to connect to her brain. Then, Severa felt warm hands on her shoulders, lifting her up, cradling her. Fluttering her eyes, she saw Kjelle and felt the cold armour against her heated, dirty skin. Severa also saw Brady and Owain. Grima wasn’t there. Severa would have let out a sigh but the pain still ran through her body.

More muttering and a cool wave of healing magic hit Severa. The pain slowly ebbed away, but Severa could still feel the damage, smell the blood. Her ankles would scar. Severa tried to not think about it, but she had seen the damage Grima created. Her mind flashed to the white and green of the gemstones and Severa felt her stomach coil.

“Roll her away.” Brady ordered.

Severa didn’t understand why, but then a moment later she smelt acid and tasted bile and realised she had thrown up. It was disgusting and not at all graceful, but Severa could care less. Her stomach protested a bit more, Severa throwing up mainly bile for a second longer. Then, she stopped and tasted something cold and minty. It tasted awful with the mix of bile, but Severa accepted the concoction and closed her eyes, letting her mind wander.

She didn’t really sleep, but she slipped in and out of consciousness. The jostling of Kjelle’s walking and the lingering pain kept her mind floating, not quite falling into sleep. Severa didn’t care. Her mind was wandering and time slipped past her. When something soft and warm engulfed her body, Severa didn’t hesitate and closed her eyes, finally falling asleep with a wave of healing magic accompanying her into her dreams.

~

Severa woke up to a dull pain along her sides and throbbing in her ankles. Wincing, Severa gingerly rolled over and tried to sit up, but felt a firm hand on her shoulders. Looking over she saw Brady. He was sitting hunched over her bed, staff hugged to his chest. Severa wanted to snap at him, but that required energy. Instead she allowed herself to relax. Brady took his hand off her shoulder a second later.

“How bad is the damage?” Severa asked with a raspy voice.

“It’s already scarred.” Brady answered. “All the way ‘round.”

Of course. Severa wanted to sit up and access the damage, but she couldn’t. Instead she tried to lift her legs, to see if she could feel the weight of the crystals on her skin. She could barely lift her legs regardless. Severa scowled at her own inability.

“You need rest.” Brady bluntly (and obviously) told her. “I’ll stop by later to check.”

Bed rest. She was confined to bed rest. Severa glanced around the room. It was non-descript and small. She had no idea where they were, but it had to be safe for the time being. Pushing herself too hard would make her useless later if there was an emergency. Severa just had to suck it up.

“Thanks.” Severa tried to keep her frustration out of her voice.

She didn’t really succeed but at least Brady didn’t call her out on it.

~

A couple days later Severa couldn’t leave the bed without assistance, but she had enough energy to sit up and stretch, examining her legs. Her clothes had been replaced by some clean clothes and her skin had that washed quality only sponge baths could give. Severa didn’t care. Most of the grime was off and she had bullied Brady into allowing her into the bath to wash her hair. Of course, that meant supervision (they picked Lucina, who was helpful but also quiet enough that it didn’t feel like Severa was being supervised like a child), but it was worth the pay off. Those facts helped Severa feel marginally better about her ankles.

Now that she could sit up, Severa could see the damage. Like Brady had told her, the diamonds and emeralds ran all the way around her ankles, glimmering like anklets. Severa hated them already. Hated as she ran her fingers down the gemstones that people would look at them at a distance and think they were a fashion accessory. It sent her blood boiling and Severa wished she could take a knife and hack away at some of gemstones, but she couldn’t. All she could do was run her fingers around the gemstones and hate them with every fibre of her being.

Scowling, Severa threw the covers over her legs, like a child believing if something was out of sight it disappeared. Childish, but at the moment it was the only glimmer of comfort Severa could cling to.

~

When she was better and allowed out of bed, the first thing Severa did was find a pair of boots, heavy and sturdy enough, and hid her ankles in the folds of leather and other fabrics on her legs. No one commented and as Severa walked she tried to remind herself that any weight she felt as she walked was all in her head and merely phantom weight.

She felt like she was carrying the weight of failure with every step.

Severa thickly swallowed and took another step in silence.

**Author's Note:**

> Grima: I know I usually write Grima gender neutral, but I guess my last fic with Grima stuck because I wrote Grima with male pronouns and I'm not going to change it now. (Oops)
> 
> Diamonds and Emeralds: I picked those because in Heroes Grima is both a colourless and green dragon unit.


End file.
